The Lost Time
by Freyja
Summary: Harry and his auror team investigated the Malfoy Manor to search some clue about the Horcruxs. But what he found inside the manor is much more complicated then what they're prepared for. HarryDraco slash. Bottom!Draco.
1. Chapter 1

**The Lost Time**

**Author: **Freyja

**Warnings:** Slash, Spoilers for HBP

**Category: **Angst, romance. Maybe a bit dark

**Pairings:** Harry/ Draco

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, not mine, I'm just a poor college student.

**Author's notes**: Hullo, this is my first attempt to write HD slash, so please be kind to me.

**Beta:** Oliver1234

**Prologue**

"Have you found something?" Kingsley shouted loudly. His voice echoed through the manor.

"Not yet, sir," Ian McKnight, one of the senior members on Kingsley's investigation team answered.

Harry, as a part of the team, quietly examined each room of Malfoy Manor. It was not an easy job, considering the Manor's width was greater then that of Hogwarts. It had been already three days and they hadn't found anything yet.

"Sir, are you sure we'll find something here? Those Malfoys may be fucked up, but they're not stupid. How is it possible that they are hiding such important things like Horcruxes in the first place their enemies would be likely to look?" Ian protested while rummaging through a huge cupboard in the eighth bedroom they had inspected today.

"Are you sure you will be able to search EVERY hidden room in this damned manor if you keep slacking off!" Kingsley retorted, "This manor was built almost 400 years ago. Only God knows how many hidden rooms and passages this building has. But thanks to Miss Granger and her invention, a detector pendant which detects any wards and charms, our job is marginally easier. I certainly you haven't neglected the pendant Ian. It will be a key component to our investigation!"

"Yes sir….," came Ian's weak reply.

When Kingsley was out of earshot, Ian turned to Harry, "Easy for him to say! He just bosses us around! Look at this cupboard, full with dusts and spider webs! How annoying!"

Harry snickered. He knew Ian was a pretty good auror, but this whiny characteristic made him unbearable sometimes. "Patient, mate. When we find something useful, I'm sure he'll let us back," he soothed him.

Ian snorted and lifted his wand to repel a spell. Suddenly the pendant shone brightly and pulled Ian into the cupboard.

"UAAHHHHHH!" Ian shrieked, shortly accompanied with a dull sound as if something heavy had hit the floor.

"IAN! Are you all right!" Harry rushed inside the cupboard and stared in amazement at the big hole in it's side.

"LUMOS!" he flicked his wrist and a narrow stairway was revealed.

"Ian! Are you all right in there? Wait, I'm coming!" Carefully Harry stepped onto the narrow stairs.

"Gah! I'm all right, but my arse is killing me! Ouch! Fucking cupboard!" Ian swore colorfully.

Harry sighed in relief when he heard Ian's loud complaints. Descending the bottom of the staircase, Harry found Ian standing in the center of what looked to be a small clearing, carefully dusting off his pants. "You should be thankful. If these stairs went down further, your skull would likely be smashed right now".

"I'll be thankful after I kick those Malfoy ancestors who built this stupid building," Ian grumbled then swung his wand, "Lumos!"

Harry looked around and saw another staircase just in front of them. "Look, there's a way to go further down. Let's go," Harry walked toward the stairs.

"Wait, Harry, don't you think we should inform Kingsley first? He'll be pissed off if we don't tell him immediately," Ian frowned.

"Let's go first, after all if we find nothing there, he'll be more pissed off at us for leading him on a wild goose chase," Harry replied stubbornly. Ian reluctantly nodded and followed at his heels.

The steps were narrow and rough, while the walls on their side were made from un-plastered brick. The only lights afforded to them were from their wands, making it quite difficult to step down. The air was humid and cold, and the atmosphere was suffocating.

Harry shivered as the first trace of magic hit him, growing ever stronger as they ascended further into the darkness. "Can you feel that?" He turned to faced Ian, "I'm sure there is powerful magic here".

Harry had worked as an auror for five years now, and his senses had greatly improved from when he was a student at Hogwarts. He was tuned into feeling all different types of magic but he had never felt magic quite as strong as the current one.

Ian replied, "Yes, I can feel it but what kind of spell is this? It doesn't seem to contain the components of a harmful spell, but i don't think it's quite a protection spell either."

"I don't know, but it must be extraordinary magic to be able make your pendant react like it did." Harry grabbed his pendant and gasped as he felt it vibrating.

"Hey, the stairs end here. Let's go further in," Harry stepped down the last steps and rushed forward, but a strong ward flung him backwards, causing a collision between himself and Ian.

"OUCH! Be careful, man! I told you my arse hurts!" Ian swore.

Harry smiled sheepishly and helped Ian to stand up, "Sorry, I'm a bit impatient."

"Finite Incantatem." With a flick of his wand, Harry tore through the ward. "Here we go…"

They walked carefully through a dusty and cold corridor. After a while they found a heavy metal door.

"Strange, This one is unlocked and un-warded," Ian commented.

They entered the room and suddenly the candles and torches sprung to life. Grateful for the light they surveyed the room's interior. Harry shuddered. He didn't like the vibrations he was picking up. It felt as if time was slower here.

"This is dark magic….and strong," Harry commented.

He examined the room slowly. This room looked like it had been used as a library, with bookshelves placed on one side of the room. On the other side were a few lounging chairs, a wooden table, and a stone fireplace. In the far wall, there was another door.

Ian examined the books on the shelves and whistled. "Whoa, I've never seen so many books filled on dark magic! This collection puts the Library we have in the Ministry to shame," Ian spoke in awe.

Paying the books no attention, Harry walked up to the door. "Alohomora!" he flicked his wand at the large brass lock. The lock jolted but did not break. "Finite incantatum!" he felt a ward broken. Slowly he pushed the door.

"Ian, come look at this," Harry called behind him.

Cold air flowed through the door. Harry can fell the magical pull stronger here. "Be careful. Somethings not right here. Maybe you'd better go and inform Kingsley about this ," Harry raised his wand apprehensively and stepped inside another corridor.

Ian snorted, "And leave you alone here? No, it'll be too dangerous. I'll follow you and we can tell Kingsley later." Harry shrugged.

They walked for a little while longer, when suddenly something cause Harry to gasp.

In front of them, a skeleton lay on the floor. Long silvery hair sprawled across the stone, the gown she used still covering her still form, her wand placed not far from her right hand. Harry gaped at her before gently stepping over her body and up to the great oak door in front of him.

"Alohamora" he whispered and the lock clattered to the ground. The magical pull was almost unbearable now. Harry cautiously pushed the door open and stared in perplexed horror at the sight in front of him.

A gigantic ice like crystal stood up proudly, magical threads clearly flowing out from it's center, making it uncommonly cold. Inside the crystal, a young boy stood motionlessly, safely warded from the world around him. The boy's features brought Harry's memories back to the night when Dumbledore was murdered.

"This can't….he is…," Harry sputtered.

Ian gaped, "Impossible. As far I know, there's no magic able to do something like this."

The boy's eyes were closed, his expression one of blessed peace. His pale skin glowed against the silvery color of the crystal like structures. His platinum blonde hair turned the purest silver; his facial structure and build reminiscent of when Harry had last seen him... that fateful night 7 years ago.

Inside the crystal barrier, Draco Malfoy slept peacefully, innocently tucked away from the horrors of the outside world.

To be continued….


	2. Chapter 2

**The Lost Time**

**Author: **Freyja

**Warnings:** Slash, Spoilers for HBP

**Category: **Angst, romance. Maybe a bit dark

**Pairings:** Harry/ Draco

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, not mine, I'm just a poor college student.

**Author's notes**: Hullo, this is my first attempt to write HD slash, so please be kind to me.

**Beta:** Oliver1234

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Good work, Potter. You can go home now," Kingsley closed Harry's report and leaned back in his chair.

"All right then." Relieved, Harry turned and opened the door. It had taken almost a month to finish this case, and he was exhausted. All Harry wanted now was a cup of espresso and to let his mind wander in peace.

Suddenly Kingsley spoke out, "Potter, you don't have to check on him too often, even if this case is your responsibility."

A flicker of anger flashed in Harry's eyes. But the next second he managed his face was unreadable again. He turned his head slightly to answer. "I know sir," Harry said and closed the door behind him.

Harry was not an idiot, he knew what Kingsley was really saying was 'Don't start obsessing over this. It's over.'

_Fat chance._

After going back to his office to grab his keys and manilla folder, Harry left the building and headed toward Diagon Alley. There, he entered a familiar cafe and took a seat on his favorite chair next to the window.

"Espresso please," he asked the waiter , a pretty girl who looked about 20 or so, with long chestnut colored hair, and a friendly disposition. Her nameplate said 'Sally.' The girl nodded and walked away, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Harry stared out of the window and waited.

After Sally had delivered his espresso, Harry pulled out a few of the sheets from his manilla folder. They were Hermione's personal research reports regarding the Malfoy case .

Half a year had passed since they had discovered Malfoy's body in the basement. They had attempted every method that they could think of to break the spell, yet the barrier still remained untouched. The only clue they had found was a small note written by Narcissa Malfoy, whose body they had also discovered that day. The note only contained one short message:

_'Only they who want to protect him from danger will able to break the spell.' _

It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant. To banish the barrier they would need someone who cared enough about Malfoy to willingly protect him at any cost. It was a difficult task, Harry mused, since almost all of Malfoy's relatives had fled the country after the war, or were dead.

Harry sighed. Malfoy was certainly not the most popular in the Wizarding world; not by a long shot. Where would they find someone who would willingly protect him, when in retrospect, Malfoy probably would not have spared a glance if anyone else had been in his current situation?

Harry finished what remained of his espresso, paid the bill, and left.

After aimlessly wandering through Diagon Alley for a while, he decided that he had to go to Malfoy manor again, hence what Kingsley was said. The main door of Malfoy Manor creaked loudly when Harry opened it. The walls echoed with every footstep he took. After walking past some corridors and climbing numerous flights of stairs, Harry entered the bedroom.

"Alohomora," Harry flicked his wrist.

The wall concealing the cupboard gave way and Harry stepped inside. He followed the familiar trail of stairs that brought him to the secluded library. Shielding his eyes from the glare of the automatic torches and candles, he took a moment to adjust to the light's intensity change.

The room was much tidier and lively now than when they had first discovered it, because Harry sometimes asked Dobby to clean it. This proposal had been met with open arms, and quite a lot of un-necessary graciousness and proclamations of royalty and grace by the loyal house elf. Harry shuddered in remembrance.

Harry spent quite a lot of his free time here, even sometimes staying to spend the night. Placing his coat on the nearby chair, Harry crossed the room and went through the torch lit corridor and into the room where they had found Narcissa Malfoy's and her son body. She had been buried in a cemetery, a little ways off from the manor next to her great aunt Edna.

However, they could think of nothing to remove Draco's body from the crystal barrier that sheltered it. Harry stepped forward, pulled up a chair, until it stood directly in front of the barrier. He sat to observed Draco as usual, and let his mind wander again.

After Dumbledore's death and Hogwart's unfortunate closing, so many things had changed. At first, because of his stubbornness and arrogance, he had decided to search for the Horcrux alone, with only Ron and Hermione for support. It had never really occurred to him that they would be putting themselves in grave danger. Dumbledore had sheltered them for so long, that the harshness of the real world had come as an abrupt shock.

In the end, they had succeeded in the retrieval of the second Horcrux, but had paid a very high price. An unexpected Death Eater attack, had cost Ron his left leg. While Ron's leg had been replaced with an artificial leg, he would never have the free range of movement from before. Ron had been in quite a state afterwards; his dream of becoming a keeper for the Chudley Cannons crumbled. He couldn't play quidditch with an artificial leg. Ron had become very bitter after that, towards everyone around him. Harry could not help but think that Ron still blamed him for the incident.

After what happened to Ron, Hermione had decided that it was too dangerous to continue their journey alone. She had joined the Ministry, and trained as an auror, in hopes of acquiring more useful information. The Ministry, who needed as many new employees as possible to face the upcoming war, easily accepted her. Not long after, Harry had decided to follow in her footsteps, and became an auror.

When Ginny found out that Harry was training to be an auror, she had tried to restart their relationship. Harry, worried about her safety after Ron's injury, declined. In actuality Harry was still in love with Ginny, and determined to protect her at all costs; so when Ginny decided to fool around with other men to get him jealous, Harry was really hurt inside and had started to avoid her. After some time, Harry had moved on, and had come to the conclusion that they were not meant to be.

Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley were still as warm and kind natured as before, but Harry knew that they had been quite disappointed that he had broken up with Ginny. This assailed him with guilt that he had hurt the only family who had ever cared for him. After what happened to Ron, and what he had done to Ginny, Harry was a bit reluctant to visit them. He felt that it was better that he distance himself whenever possible, because he didn't want to cause any more pain for them. Now he only went to The Burrow on special occasions, such as holidays, and sometimes when they threw birthday parties.

With no attachments or obligations, Ron and Hermione had split a little ways after the surgery due to Ron's coldness. Hermione was now free to bury herself in her books. The Ministry had acknowledged her brilliance and despite her young age, had already assigned her many important tasks. Hermione was always busy it seemed, and rarely had time to hang out with Harry anymore, much less embark on adventures with him.

All of this left Harry with a feeling of dismal loneliness. He was assailed with regrets, that things could not be as they were when they had been at Hogwarts; they had been so young and carefree then with only the upcoming quidditch match and Snape's next potion test to worry about.

Harry had of course, been battling evil more times than not in his school days, but at least they had been close and he missed the laughter and whispered conversations in the corners of the common room. Time and Voldemort had taken all things precious from him, and he still blamed them for his all misery.

Sometimes he was tempted to use the time turner, but in the end decided against it. He knew that no matter what he changed it would never be the same. So many things had gone wrong, he couldn't possibly fix all of them. Harry sighed and shook his head.

But now, suddenly a piece of his past was in front of his eyes, flooding him with memories, both good and bad. Harry examined Draco and thrilled. This, despite the fact that it was not what he would have chosen to keep, was one untouched part of his past.

Draco's skin was as pale and ethereal as he remembered. His face was still a little too girlie for a boy, with long eyelashes, a small nose, pale pink lips, and delicate eyebrows. Strands of silvery hair fluttered against his face giving it a gentleness that he had never seen before.

All of this reminded him of Sleeping Beauty story; with Draco sleeping in a castle and waiting for a handsome prince to save him from an endless sleep. Harry snorted at the thought.

Harry stood and reached out to touch the crystal wall, feeling strands of his magic envelope him. He was overcome with a desperate feeling to break the barrier, to touch Draco and reassure himself that he was real, and young, and innocent, unlike everything else in this world. He knew for Draco, that it would be safer for him to remain here forever, peaceful, perfect, and with no troubles burdening him, no guilt.

Harry didn't want Draco to get hurt, despite the fact that they had been arch-rivals and had tried to make each others lives miserable. Maybe he sympathized with him because both of their mothers had given their lives to protect their sons. If Harry was honest with himself he would see that he really wasn't concerned so much with Draco's feelings, but rather that he wanted this for himself, others' wants be damned!

A selfish reason surely, but he couldn't help it.

He found that he even missed the times when Draco snapped at him, because then at least he could remember that they were just boys the two of them and in school and had dreams, and friends, and the halls were filled with laughter and Harry wanted to keep this, needed to have this.

Harry felt happy and calm here. Now this basement, with it's dusty books, and dimly lit hallways was the closest thing he had to a home. The irony was overwhelming. Malfoy Manor, he would never have thought it. But it was, and Harry was determined to protect this place. Or Draco. Or anything here.

He had already lost so much, and he would not lose this last strand to his past too.

Suddenly Harry felt the magic of the crystal dome enveloping him, felt it shake and start to disperse under his hands. It cracked and rattled and Harry cried out from the electric shocks running through his veins. The next things Harry saw were blinding lights and a great surge of power slammed his body into the wall rather painfully.

After that, everything went black.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

**The Lost Time**

**Author: **Freyja

**Warnings:** Slash, Spoilers for HBP

**Category: **Angst, romance. Maybe a bit dark

**Pairings:** Harry/ Draco

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, not mine, I'm just a poor college student.

**Beta:** Oliver1234

* * *

"Ouch…what the hell…," Harry swore as he slowly regained consciousness . Rubbing his sore head, Harry attempted to pry his eyes open. When he finally managed this, all he could do was blink and stare.

The dome in which Draco's body had stood for years was gone, leaving only pieces of broken crystal scattered all over the floor. "What…how…," Harry tried to recall what had taken place before he was knocked out.

_He'd wanted to break the barrier_.

Harry frowned, he knew many people had wanted to shatter the barrier and had already tried in many ways, yet no one's efforts had provoked any sort of reaction from the magically innate dome, not until now.

_To protect Draco from the harsh world._

Not many people were willing to protect the spoiled brat, Harry mused. But surely anyone would have to at least feel some pity when they looked at his vulnerable state?

_'Only they who want to protect him from danger will able to break the spell.' _

The last note Draco's mother had written before she was killed…

_He felt the magic of the crystal dome enveloping him, felt it shake and start to disperse under his hands…_

"Oh, shit!"

"He's gone!" Harry quickly stood, then groaned when a wave of dizziness hit him. He lent on the nearest wall and took a deep breath trying to calm himself. He was sure that Draco wouldn't have been able to move so quickly after being frozen for years.

After his head felt a bit better, Harry slowly walked out of the corridor and the room. He climbed the stairs and stepped out from the hidden entrance in the cupboard.

Harry looked around the room and found that the door had been opened. He walked toward the door, and what he saw there caused him to narrow his eyes. In the dusty floor, there was a trail of footprints leading him to the main staircase. The footprints were a boy's shoe size, and Harry was sure that the tracks had been left by Draco.

Enthusiastic yet anxious, Harry quickly ran, following the trail. The sound of his sneakers thumped against the dusty floor, muting the sound of his fast heartbeat. Harry almost couldn't believe that Draco had actually woken up! He had long before given up hope, when the Ministry declared that Draco was impossible to save. 'A lost cause,' they had said grimly, looking at Harry with pity. Harry was lucky that although he had known the chances were low, he had kept at pursuing Draco.

After running through numerous corridors and climbing countless staircases, Harry finally slowed his steps. The footsteps veered off into a lone room. The room's door was opened a bit, and Harry could make out a streak of light that had found it's way inside. Someone had obviously gone into the room, and was most likely still there. Surely, it was Malfoy.

Harry, his mind set with determination, strode forward. Reaching the door, he slowly pushed it open further, trying to make as little noise as possible, and stepped inside.

The room was dim, only illuminated by a single candle placed next to the door. Harry thought offhandedly that this room was probably one of the biggest in Malfoy Manor, by the size of the room and furniture He could just see this room before the wreckage had occurred. Beautiful, and elegant, excessively ostentatious, and comfortable, no doubt a portrayal of the Malfoy's nobility and wealth. But now, this room was no different from any other room in the manor; dusty, dirty, wrecked, gloomy. Though the furniture still remained in it's original position, none of it was fit to be used.

In the center of the room, an enormous, ruin of a bed stood proudly. The curtain was closed, but Harry could detect faint sounds coming from inside; something alive. Harry slowly pried the curtain open. The sight in front of him was heartbreaking .

A sixteen year old Draco Malfoy, still in his Hogwart's robe, curled up, faced buried into a down pillow. Obviously he was crying and was unaware of another's presence.

"Dra...Malfoy?" Harry called to Draco slowly. Harry had never before been in this type of situation, and was unsure of what course of action it required.

As if jolted, Draco jumped and turned his head. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. He was shaking.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," Harry spoke carefully, afraid that Draco was about to turn and flee, or worse, hex him.

Panic, fear, and confusion shone in Draco's gray eyes. Harry waited patiently for Draco to calm down a bit.

"Who... who are you?" Draco asked timidly. His voice was hoarse from crying for hours. Harry was suddenly fighting a strong urge to hug Draco and soothe him. Draco definitely would not react well to being manhandled right now, and he certainly didn't want to scare him off. Furthermore, how could Draco had forgotten him?

"Don't you remember? I'm Potter, Harry Potter, your nemesis from school ," Harry smiled wryly. If Draco had amnesia, this wouldn't be easy.

Draco only stared at him incredulously, his expression slowly morphing into one of anger. "Don't fool around with me! Potter's the same age as I am! How dare you make a stupid joke at time like this!" he shouted , making Harry wince. His headache had returned with force.

"Calm down a bit, will you! Let me explain first!" Harry snapped.

Draco immediately sunk deeper into the mattress. Sighing, Harry massaged his nose bridge, trying to think. " Malfoy, tell me, what's the last thing you remember before you woke up in the basement today?" Harry asked Draco.

When he received no response, Harry glared. "Well?"

Draco eyes narrowed slightly with distrust, but then he answered the question, albeit a bit wary. "Snape brought me here yesterday. After he... he…," Draco cut himself off.

"After he killed Albus Dumbledore. Yes, we all know that," Harry eyes flashed with open anger, making Draco even more terrified. "Then, what happened?" he asked again, harsher than before.

Draco fidgeted on the bed. "After he killed Dumbledore, he brought me here. He told me not to go anywhere and hide until he returned from the meeting. Several hours later, he was back, together with my mum. He didn't say anything though, but he...err..., he left us alone."

Harry frowned; he knew Draco was hiding something, but he decided to let it pass for the moment.

"Mum was crying and hugging me tightly, and I knew that there was something wrong. I figured You Know Who must be pissed with me because I failed to kill Dumbledore," Draco winced and shook his head, "Then mum brought me down there. She told me to stand in the center of a complicated rune pattern she had drawn on the floor earlier. When I refused, she cast a freezing spell on me and placed me there…"

'_Draco, this is for your own good! Be quiet and stand there as I say!' his mother's face still wet from tears, but her gaze was as hard as stone._

_Panicked, Draco shook his head, 'No! I know you'll do something to hide me and face everything alone! I won't hide, I want to be together with you mum! Please,' Draco pleaded. Now he was also crying earnestly. He Knew that something bad was coming and he wouldn't, couldn't let his mother face it alone._

_Narcissa pulled him into a hug, and sobbed into his shoulder, 'Listen, my son, you're everything I have now, and I won't let anyone do any harm to you…So, please understand how I'm feeling... I love you too much to let you die.' She broke the contact, and in a flash a wand pointed to Draco's face._

'_Stupefy!'_

"…She…she chanted some ancient and complicated spells. I know nothing about them, and then, I…I don't know…," Draco voice cracked. Tears trailed down his cheeks. "What happened? Where's my mum?" he lifted his head and stared into Harry's eyes.

Harry's gaze turned softer now, as he sat on the edge of Draco's bed. "…we, oh um... the Auror department and I, concluded that the spell your mother chanted earlier was one involving time magic. It's an ancient and rare magic that ran through your mother's blood. It allowed her the power to stop time if she wished..."

Draco's mouth wavered. "No…"

"And from the looks of it, your mother used that spell to freeze time for you. It's purpose was to protect you from any harm, Draco. No one could do any harm to you, as long as you were locked inside of the barrier," Harry continued softly.

"No...," Draco shook his head.

"It's true Draco.. And judging from the time of your last memory, you must have slept within that time barrier for at least seven years. You might still be sixteen years old, but I, I'm twenty three years old already," Harry reached Draco's shoulder to offer him some comfort.

"DON"T TOUCH ME!" Draco slapped Harry's hand away and took his wand out, "I don't believe you! You liar! I know you just want to fool me, especially if you're that stupid Harry fucking Potter! You must have drunk some aging potion and put me into some kind of sick, twisted joke with help from those wretched Weasel twins no doubt! You…"

"Draco! Calm down! I..," Harry frantically tried to soothe the panicked boy.

"NO! SHUT UP! YOU LIAR!" Draco shouted furiously.

"FOR FUCKS SAKE, CALM DOWN MALFOY!" Harry roared.

Draco's face turned even paler now. He lowered his wand a bit and remained silent. Harry tried to calm his temper. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes. After a few minutes he spoke again, softy this time.

"Malfoy, try to be be calm and reasonable now. Look at this place, how do you think your manor ended up this way? Do you think I'd go through all of the trouble to set up a stupid and cruel joke like that just to humor myself in the center of a war? Well, no, unfortunately for you Malfoy, I prefer to spend my time and energy to do much better things," Harry's voice dripped with sarcasm. He stood and walked toward the window.

Draco, who didn't know what to say, kept silent and eyed Harry warily. Harry turned, his face dead serious now. "Malfoy, I hate to say this to you. But what I said earlier is all real. And as for your mother, I'm really sorry Malfoy, but we found her body near the spot where she trapped you. She already died. I'm very sorry," Harry spoke gently.

Draco shut his eyes tightly, "No…I don't want to believe this…This is not real…"

Now unable to suppress the urge to comfort, Harry moved closer and hugged Draco gently. "I know it's hard for you, Malfoy. But be strong. Your mother gave up her life to keep you alive, so you should at least try your best to live on."

Draco tensed when suddenly Harry's arms encircled him. But when he heard kind words about his mother and felt a gentle soothing motion on his back, Draco found himself unable to contain all of his emotions and proceeded to cry his heart out in the offered shoulder.

"Are you alright now?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded and took the offered handkerchief. His eyes were red and puffy. Now that he was feeling calmer, Draco began to feel embarrassed for crying like a baby in front of the Golden Boy. He still felt unsure of himself, and was wary about trusting Harry. Hell, he wasn't even sure if this man really was 'Harry sodding Potter', or if it was just some cook claiming to be Potter.

"If you feel better now, we should probably apparate to my house. I don't think I'm comfortable staying in a dusty room like this," Harry quipped.

Draco only stared at Harry as if he suddenly had a pair of green horns growing out of the sides of his head. "What? Move to your house? Are you kidding me?"

Harry frowned, "Do you think I'm going to just leave you here? In a dusty wreckage of a house like this? Of course you're coming with me, you have nowhere to go, have you?"

"Don't be stupid! Why the hell should I come with you? This is my house, and I'm not going anywhere!" Draco snapped.

"Your the ridiculous one Malfoy. You're asking me to leave you, a defenseless sixteen year old boy, here, in a destroyed and unprotected mansion. Don't forget your status Malfoy, you're a former Death Eater's son, an elite one too. How can you think that no one will try to capture or kill you?" Harry replied easily.

"I DON"T NEED ANY PROTECTION, ESPECIALLY NOT FROM YOU!" fumed Draco suddenly grabbing his wand and running towards the door.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry flicked his wand and a second later Draco's wand nestled within his hand.

Draco was too stunned to say anything. He could only stand and gape at a smug Harry.

"You….you…," too furious, Draco found he lacked the knowledge to comprise a complete sentence, as his fury was too great.

"You can't even defend yourself from me, how can you expect yourself to stand up against Death Eaters? Be reasonable, Malfoy," Harry twirled Draco's wand playfully, only to irritate Draco more.

"But, you… you attacked me from behind! That's unfair! I…,"

"And do you think the Death Eaters will ask you for a duel first before throw a hex at you? Don't be foolish!" Harry handed Draco his wand and walked through the door.

"Where are you going?" Draco found himself panicking. He really didn't understand anything at all. He didn't want to be left alone, and was confused, but he didn't want to go with Potter eithier.

"I'm going to grab my jacket in the basement, and then I'm going home. Are you coming or not?" Harry asked nonchalantly.

Draco looked unsure for a moment. He really didn't want to leave his manor. He knew that what Harry had said earlier was right, but the manor was the only thing that he had left. It was his only sanctuary. If he stepped outside, into the real world, he would have to give up his denial, and the thought was scary. Maybe, maybe if he called some house elves, they could return the manor to it's previous state. Maybe if he waited long enough, his mother and father would come back. Maybe someday he would wake up, realizing that everything that was happening was only a nightmare.

Maybe…

A few minuted later a triumphant and smug Harry Potter, marched out of Malfoy Manor, a dejected and wary Draco Malfoy dragging behind him.

TBC...

* * *

Hello, hello, sorry for the very long updates! ; I know I'm being a lazy ass, please forgive me…I didn't want to make you all wait too long for the update, really, but there's too many things happen to me in this last three months. I were going to a secluded village for a month and can't find any internet connection there. When I came back, I found my hotmail account were blocked and even Oliver1234, my beloved beta, thought I already dead ; Well, I guess I'll just try write faster to make up this ;)

Thank you very much, and… Review please!


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